Earth Day volunteers help beautify Buena Vista Creek

MARK WALKER - Staff Writer

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VISTA -- They came, they cleared and they cleaned.

About three dozen volunteers and members of the Vista
Conservancy wielded chainsaws, rakes, shovels and garbage pails
Saturday to clear debris and overgrown vegetation along a
2,000-foot strip of Buena Vista Creek.

The Earth Day event was an annual effort to keep the year-round
stream free from pollution and enhance the aesthetic qualities of
an adjacent public walking path just below the Creekside Terrace
Housing Development off of Vale Terrace Drive.

"This is all part of a bigger plan to have a longer walking
trail stretching from Wildwood Park to Brengle Terrace Park," said
Brooks Cavanaugh, a conservancy cofounder and board member.

The conservancy formed in 1999 when the housing project was in
its infancy. A small group of Vista residents saw the chance to
preserve the creek and take the first step toward development of
the lengthier walking trail.

The group formed a nonprofit corporation dedicated to preserving
creeks, oak groves and natural areas home to native wildlife and
vegetation in Vista.

Working with the city of Vista and the developer of Creekside
Terrace, the conservancy secured land along the creek and worked
out an agreement in which oak trees were planted as an exchange for
those removed for the home development.

In the intervening years, the conservancy has stepped up its
efforts to maintain the creek by annually clearing out non-native
vegetation and debris.

The stream flows year round from its headwaters in the mountains
to the east, eventually spilling into the popular Buena Vista
Lagoon that divides Carlsbad and Oceanside.

Saturday's efforts were aided by a volunteer group of
eighth-grade girls from Vista's North Coast Church, including
14-year-old Whitney Danley, who after getting a primer from a
horticulturist on what vegetation to leave in place and what to
remove, said she found her labor a giving experience.

"I feel really good about helping out and making this area nicer
and cleaner so people can appreciate it more," she said.

Much the same sentiment was expressed by Jorge Vaca, owner of a
tree-cutting service who was leading a handful of workers using
chainsaws to cut down some non-native trees and large shrubbery
that had taken root along the creek.

"I've been helping out for the last four years," Vaca said. "I
do it to contribute to the community and help keep this a nice area
for the public to enjoy."

Vista attorney David Larkin has a particular interest in
preserving the creek. His offices are located along its north side,
affording daily opportunities to see hawks, songbirds, racoons,
possums and other wildlife.

A pair of mallards also returns to the wetland area each year,
he said.

The conservancy has applied for a $100,000 state grant to help
its efforts and is also working with the city for another grant to
help develop the longer trail project.

By the end of Saturday's six-hour efforts, the group had cut,
cleared and stacked for removal three large truckloads of
vegetation and debris.

Anyone interested in joining the conservancy, which has a
membership roster of about 200, can contact Cavanaugh at (760)
758-7710.

"If people love to preserve nature, we could use their help," he
said.